The Yvette Moore Gallery, housed in the historic former land titles building on Fairford Street, with its extensive art collection and chic Gallery Café, are once again making an appearance as part of the 11th annual Moostletoe Artist's Studio Tour on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Yvette Moore is an iconic member of Moose Jaw's artist community. For more than 50 years, she has been depicting Prairie landscapes and heritage buildings, and capturing the everyday magic of Prairie life and culture, amassing an extensive body of work noted for its skill, scale, and vivid detail.
In 1998, she purchased and renovated the Land Titles building at 76 Fairford Street, originally built at great cost in 1910. The building had been converted for commercial purchased in the 1950s, its beauty and historicity covered and neglected. Moore and her team painted over dismal interior colours, removed a suspended ceiling hiding arched, copper-lined windows, and re-opened the building as an art gallery with an attached café. She kept as many original features as possible, and restored many original furnishings for continued use.
The Yvette Moore Gallery is now a destination attracting tourists from across Canada and internationally, and cherished by locals as an essential part of the city's downtown core. It features pieces by sculptors, potters, painters, jewellers, glassworkers, textile artisans, and more, alongside Moore's own world-renowned artworks.
"Here at the Gallery, we represent almost 50 artisans from across Western Canada, so we have a lot for people to come in and see and enjoy all the different mediums we have on hand. It's endless, what we can actually showcase, and right now we're also set up for Christmas in October, so a lot of the displays also have a festive feel to them," Moore explained.
The other artists at her gallery are a key reason Moore has participated in Moostletoe since day one — she loves showing these artists off to visitors, giving them exposure and a place to sell their art. Most hail directly from Saskatchewan.
"All of our artisans are constantly bringing us new work, so for us, it's like opening Christmas presents every time we get a delivery, because we never know what we're getting," Moore said. "We don't order specific work most of the time, so then we have the excitement of coming up with ways to display that work in a way that shows it to its fullest.
"We've taken on a few new artists just in this past year, as well, and with the new work, even if you've been in (the Gallery) numerous times over the past year, there will still be something exciting to see on the (Moostletoe) tour."
Moore always encourages everyone who goes on the tour to visit each location and talk to each artist. In addition to her gallery, there six other spots:
- Laura Hamilton's studio is at 128 Blue Sage Drive
- Jess Zoerb is at The Art House on 720 Second Avenue Northeast
- Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) is hosting Jude Radwanski of Firefly Art Jewellery and Dave Pelletier
- Nissa Gieni-Wareham of artisaNGrounds is in suite 423 of the Hammond Building downtown
- Beth Barrett of One Sweet Dream Pottery is at 1211 Fifth Avenue Northwest
- Moose Jaw Cultural Centre will host three groups, including the River Street Potters, the Mud Pie Girls, and Ron Dormer Photography
By picking up a tour 'passport' and getting a stamp at each location, guests will be eligible for a gift basket with an item from each artist, worth approximately $175.
"I encourage people to take advantage of this time to see artist's in their space or the space that they're showing their work," Moore said. "These opportunities don't come very often for artisans. There are the shows they have, but this is more of an intimate chance to greet people and talk with them and be able to explain their work, as well.
"And I think that's quite an opportunity."
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